Frank Case (center) was presented the 2017 Mike Roach Leadership Award by Mike Roach (right), former president of Ben E. Keith Foods, and Mark Allen, president & CEO of IFDA. The award was presented at the IFDA Distribution Solutions Conference during a session with retired General Stan McChrystal.
On October 16, 2017, Frank Case, executive vice president at Performance Foodservice, Temple, TX, was presented the 2017 Mike Roach Leadership Award during the IFDA Distribution Solutions Conference. Case was one of 34 students in the 2017 IFDA Executive Development Program at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, and the award is presented to the top student contributor based on a survey of participants and professors. Performance Foodservice is a division of Performance Food Group, headquartered in Richmond, VA.
In brief, the criteria considered included being an exceptional communicator, being a strong critical thinker, showing a passion for people, having vision as a leader, and showing respect to his or her peers.
In presenting the award, Mike Roach, retired president of Ben E. Keith Foods, said it was humbling to present an award in his name that highlights key leadership qualities that executives try to bring to their business dealings day to day in foodservice distribution. Those same key qualities are what the IFDA / Darden program is meant to develop.
In presenting the award, Mr. Roach shared a comment of one of Case’s classmates, who wrote:
“I really enjoyed how Frank consistently tied the case studies back to real examples within his own work experiences. From Frank’s responses to questions, to sharing his personal experiences, I was able to gain a real sense of his leadership abilities. Quite simply, I found myself asking ‘Who would I most like to work for from our class?’ Frank was my top choice.”
In accepting the award, Case expressed thanks for the kind words, and said “the people that were involved — my classmates if you will — are all incredibly professional people in their own right.”
After receiving the award, Frank Case shared thoughts about the program with the DSC audience. When asked about his experience after the first session at the Darden School of Business, Case wrote: “Simply stated, Darden is the single greatest experience in my professional career. The Professors are passionate, engaging, and have a contagious energy. An outstanding program!”
Case said that he has taken part in a number of executive development and training programs and therefore has some good experience he could compare to the IFDA/Darden program. “It’s first class from the moment that you sign up, and the environment is incredible. It’s the Darden School of Business and it’s known globally. It is a great place, and the people that are there are incredible as well.”
Case said that for him, the best part of the program was being able to dialogue with people in the evening as you go over case studies. “That happens together in teams, and you get a chance to meet people, listen, and share. It was a fantastic opportunity and the professors, at the end of the day, challenge you at a much higher level than anything I have ever done,” said Case.
In closing, he told Distribution Solutions Conference attendees: “If you are thinking about going yourself to this program, or sending some associates, I would tremendously encourage you to do so."
To view information on the IFDA Executive Development Program, click here.